Magilton enjoys a friends reunion as Ipswich hit four

LIKE so many things in football it began with Brazil, when Bebeto and his team- mates celebrating a goal at the 1994 World Cup by pretending to rock a baby.

It has since become the traditional way for footballers embracing fatherhood to mark a goal, and Ipswich striker Pablo Counago duly confirmed after his double cradlerocking celebration that he, too, is poised to become a parent.

The Spain Under 21 striker said: 'My girlfriend Lara and I found out a couple of weeks ago and the baby is due in March. It will be our first child and I am obviously delighted. But it is the first time I have scored since I found out so I have had to wait a while for the goal celebration.'

Counago returned for a second spell at Portman Road on a free transfer from Malaga this summer and he continued his one-man crusade against Coventry with another two goals to take his individual tally against them to five in four games.

He said: 'I don't know why I keep scoring against Coventry. There's no special reason, I just seem to like playing against them.

'It was a vital win for the team because we had lost our last two games, both away from home, and we had to stop that run.

'Now we just need to start winning games away from home as well because there's a big difference between our home form and our away form. It seems to be a mental thing but we can't let it become an obsession.'

Central defender Jason De Vos headed the home side in front after 10 minutes and further strikes from Counago, after 24 minutes, and winger Jon Walters, after 40 minutes, rendered the result a formality by half time.

Counago's second goal after 57 minutes was followed by a stunning 69th-minute free-kick from Coventry midfielder Stephen Hughes, but by then Ipswich had simply switched off and Counago's thoughts had presumably turned to cribs, cradles and cuddly toys.

The win was Ipswich's seventh in succession at home, while it also extended Coventry's wretched record to just one win at Portman Road in 24 years.

'We have been defending well this season so we are hoping that this was just a temporary blip, a one off for the whole team.

'Unfortunately, it now means we haven't won in three games, but we know we didn't defend well and it's something we will have to look at. We still created chances, though, without taking them, so that's something at least.

'But you have to give credit to Ipswich. They were at our throats from the word go and I think that basically we suffered the backlash from the fact that they had been badly beaten in their last two away games.'